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App Store Lessons: cash in on sub-$250 end-of-year payments

It looks like Apple did end-of-2008 payment closeouts for many iPhone …

In the world of Apple payments, App Store developers do not generally get paid until their application has earned at least $250 in any given region. When their apps earn more than that amount, Apple issues monthly checks or deposits for the store in question. So if developers earn $125 in the Japan store and $50 in the UK store, the payments for that month would still be $0 because they have not crossed the critical threshold to trigger a normal payment. Developers can track their monthly sales and earnings statements on the iTunes Connect site, which is also where they upload and manage their applications.

However, many iPhone developers have been telling us that they have received end-of-year payments for amounts of under $250 for various stores around the world. It looks as if Apple closed the books for the end of 2008, paying out the remaining balances to developers whose payment details are in good standing. These payments seem to apply to both developers who have previously been issued checks in those countries as well as to those who have not.

What's curious is that many�other�developers have not received checks, even those who have previously been paid (a circumstance that more or less guarantees that they did set up their transfer information properly). Ars contacted Apple to find out why payments were not sent to all accounts, and Apple PR has not responded as of this writing. We did, however, give the Apple Developer Connection a call with slightly more helpful results, if no more information or reason behind the developer discrepancy.

If you are one of the many developers who have been left on the sidelines, you can contact Apple to find out your status. ADC suggests you e-mail itspayments@apple.com to make your inquiry. ADC told me that there is no direct phone number for that department and all my attempts to google up a better contact have failed. In your e-mail, make sure to provide your developer account information and offer a brief overview of your unpaid situation as well as your understanding that other developers have received payments at the end of the year for balances that fell below the normal $250 threshold.

Be aware that some small payments can actually hurt your bottom line. As iPhone Developer Bryan Henry pointed out to me on Twitter today, high wire-transfer service charges can take a big bite out of your check. $10 from a $50 payment reflects a much higher percentage than the same $10 charge on $300. So if your accounts will earn out to that magic $250 level, you may want to wait on the next payment rather than ping Apple at this time.